Emerald and Scarlet ~ Drarry

Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests

"Because you have produced a Patronus before and are being a right pain about it. I have never been able to conjure one."

"Well, have you tried?" Harry raised his voice a little, he wasn't sure why he was getting angry.

"Every so often," Draco was clearly getting annoyed with him, but kept his tone at a condescending monotone. "Nothing but a wisp of smoke."

Harry turned on his heel, facing away from Draco, raising his wand in the air. He just wanted to get this over and done with. To prove to that git that he was wrong.

Happiest memory. Maybe winning the Quidditch cup for his last year at Hogwarts. Sure, let's go with that.

"Expecto Patronum!" Harry yelled. A wisp of silver smoke exploded from the tip of his wand, a wisp of smoke with the legs of a deer, however.

"Too weak," Draco shrugged. "Try something else."

"Some positive reinforcement would be nice," Harry mumbled.

"I'm not going to coddle you because I care for you," said Draco. "Coddling doesn't nothing but make you soft and careless."

"You know, that makes a lot of sense," said Harry, making sure his sarcastic tone was evident. "Really explains a lot about you."

"My parents didn't raise a pussy."

"Okay, you have a go," Harry rolled his eyes. "If you're not a pussy."

Draco stepped past Harry with no word to him. He stood very still for a few seconds before brandishing his wand. "Expecto Patronum."

A wisp of smoke. But Draco did not turn back to Harry.

"Expecto Patronum!"

Harry's eyes widened. For a moment he couldn't tell what it was. A beast of some sort emerged from the tip of Draco's wand. Harry's took a second to adjust to the brilliant light in the room. A silvery Thestral trotted around the room, leaping gracefully over beds and shaking its beautiful head every so often. Draco turned his whole body as he watched it dance around him, he stumbled over himself as it brushed past him as if he could feel it.

The look on his face warmed Harry's heart so deeply that he completely forgot about his anger. He smiled as Draco raised a hand to his mouth, his grey eyes threatening to spill tears.

Draco reaches out to touch the corporeal beast but it disintegrated as his fingers ran along its side.

The blonde haired boy collected himself, rubbing his hand across his eyes quickly and turning back to Harry. "See, easy."

"Draco that was brilliant," Harry ignored his cocky facade. He pulled Draco into a hug which the taller boy pretended not to enjoy. "A Thestral is so perfect for you."

"Dark, mysterious? Exactly like me," Draco smiled, pulling away from Harry.

"Whatever you say," said Harry before craning his neck to plant a small kiss on Draco's lips. "What was the happy memory that finally did it."

Draco peered into Harry's eyes for a few seconds before answering as if he was looking for something. "That morning where I was feeling so low, so unlovable, so despicable and you, Harry Potter, the one I have been infatuated with for so long, told me that you had feelings for me. That's the happiest memory I can think of. It's not about my crush telling me he likes me back, you showed me that I am worthy of love and that I am desired. That I have a reason to be here at all."

Harry struggled to find any sort of words that would be appropriate to say after someone declared something like that. He simply reached his right hand up to cradle Draco's face. There were only three inches between them but it still managed to annoy Harry every time he had to rise on his toes a little every time he wanted to kiss him, but he did anyway.

Their lips moved together as Harry felt Draco's hand slide around his waist.

"I think it's time for studying," Draco said as he broke the kiss, resting his forehead against Harry's. "Granger will have my head if I keep you too long."

+ + +

Walking out of the dungeons on the Friday afternoon, the two week's of N.E.W.T examinations over, Harry breathed a unanimous sigh of relief with every other seventh and eighth-year student also exiting the Potions classrooms.

Harry quickly found Ron, Hermione and Ginny who pulled him into a celebratory group hug. Finally released, Harry looked around for Draco but barely caught the back of his head turning the corner, heading back up to the main part of the castle.

Harry pushed through the other students in order to catch up to Draco ending up on the stone stairs before he could grasp the back of Draco's robes.

"What is with you and running off?" Harry asked.

"I would concoct a witty answer with reference to my childhood trauma but I feel like this is not the time nor place," Draco joked, well, Harry hoped he was joking.

"How do you reckon you did?"

"Excellent, as always," Draco rolled his eyes. "Can I expect an 'O' grade from you as well?"

"I'm not sure about an 'O', but I think I did alright," said Harry.

"I'm sure you did great. Come on, we're having a party. Eighth years only." 

two chapters to go ! ! ! !